sunday review: post christmas edition

i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday..

we sure did..

aside from an aunt with severe abdominal pain who couldn't eat..

and an another aunt who chopped a piece off the tip of her thumb cooking christmas dinner...

i felt a little sad last night, knowing it was all over for another year..

and, let's be honest.. i'm not looking forward to going back to reality.

the hubs has been home for the last 8 days

& while there were a few times i wanted to send him outside with the dude so i could clean..

it's been nice!

1. the nice thing about the about the hubs being home.. breakfast cooked (and then there is the mess afterwards ;).

2. mr. bells hanging out in the dude's room to make sure he kept his room clean.

3. the hubs outside throwing the football with the dude & next door neighbor kids.

4. hubs makes a late night strawberry smoothie for us.

5. mr. bells sent us a video from santa telling the dude he needed to work a little harder to get on the nice list.

6. the babe is a lollipop lover! (airheads makes a lollipop with a plastic stick.. otherwise he gets to the end & tries to cram the whole stick in his mouth!!)

7. uncle ricky & aunt shea bought the dude some super fluffy camo slippers & he LOVES them.. is always bringing them to me to put on him.

8. shopping. at micheals. ALONE. another benefit of the hubs being home!! :)

9. mr. bells was jailed by the evil penguin.

10. babe's first publix cookie... he was covered in chocolate but totally enjoyed it!

11. candied bacon. yessssss....

12. chocolate chip & candied bacon cookies.. oh yea.. you heard me right!

13. more bacon.. this time for bacon jam.

14. last minute from a box (blech!!) cupcakes & icing. totally improvised the less than stellar last minute decorations.. whatever!

15. cousins! addison & aubrey are sisters.. and then the babe & the dude. my cousin the biggest sports fan i know ended up with two little princess daughters.!!

16. annual christmas eve family get together.. the numbers keep dwindling & the faces keep changing.. but we keep it going.. 

17. the babe & the dude in their pj's christmas eve with papa... papa teasing rance by sticking his thumb in his mouth..

18. the 'bacon basket' or 'basket o' bacon'... a gift for my dad & aunt. bacon salt. chocolate chip & candied bacon cookies. candied bacon butter. bacon jam. (last year was chocolate covered bacon & i needed to up the anty)

19. i about went into shock when i unwrapped my parents gift. a silhoutte cameo. that's what i get for telling my mom about it & suggesting we go into together on it! she's so sneaky! i am BEYOND grateful & totally undeserving.. but she's already put in her first order for custom vinyl.. so i'm guessing she had this all planned out!

20. my gift from stephen...a kindle fire. a TOTAL surprise. we had talked about tablets, but for the dude.. then we decided to wait another year or two. i have always wanted a e-reader... but haven't really expressed it to him.. so i was in shock. and.... i totally cried. a big ugly boo-hoo. again...so thankful & so undeserving.

21. mason got star wars operation from nana & papa & it was a lot harder than he thought it'd be.. and i learned that it was (at least this version) a lot easier than i remembered it being. speaks volumes about fine motor skills & aging! 

22. another family christmas dinner. my dad had some cousins from his mother's side visiting & my cousin who i haven't seen in years (she lives in LA) were there. it was great to catch up with them & hang out in person with people i stalk on facebook! :)  

the hubs goes back to work tomorrow like i said...

and i'm hoping once the year winds down to get started on some new goals

& some new home dec projects..

i hope to pop in between now & 2012!! :)

xo-k

recipe: peppermint brownie bites

i think i can count on one hand the amount of times the dude has ASKED me to make something for him.

he's a picky eater, to the max.

like most kids, i'd imagine, he'd live on pizza, chicken nuggets & fruit if we let him.

along with an occasional pb & j sandwich.

so when he practically begged me to make brownies for his class christmas party, i had to oblige.

but the thought of trying to cut up brownies to serve to a class of 7 year olds..

well i just imagined whines of who's piece was bigger

& having to wield a knife with a hoard of kids on the brink of a sugar-coma looming over me.

sounds scary right?

add to that a baby who was missing his morning nap 

& a mama who was up until 2am finishing his teacher's present..

& you just about have a clear picture of my stress level come 11am!

so i put my mini muffin tin to work.

i dropped a heaping tablespoon of batter into each cup

& then baked them off.

but plain ol' brownies are pretty lame.

and everything is better with peppermint..

especially at christmas time right?

so i found this recipe for peppermint cookies on craftaholics anonymous

& used just the icing recipe

thinning it out a bit with more milk so i could just dunk the tops of the brownies in the icing.

added some crushed peppermint to the top

& hauled them in for kiddie approval.

they LOVED them (of course)

and most of the kids came back for seconds..

some for thirds & fourths!

i used the brownie recipe i posted here

& it made about 52 mini brownies!

so good, and a pretty festive & simple way to dress up regular brownies! :)

xo-k

ps-2 days left until christmas! are you ready?! :) 

linking to:
tidymom
whipperberry

christmas: memorial pound cake baking

each year it gets a little less sad...

it gets a little easier..

it grows to be a little more tradition.

you may remember my post last year about our annual christmas pound cake baking..

or, you may be a new follower (hello! :) & have no clue what i'm talking about.

in february 2005 my granny passed away.

she was my mom's mother, a mother of six children... and was a single parent no less.

she sacrificed a great deal during her life for her children..

more than i'm sure even my mom & her siblings know about.

she has a sad story.. but that's not the story i want to share tonight.

the one i want to tell you is about a woman who was more filled with the christmas spirit every year than anyone i've ever known.

her family grew from six children to include their spouses & 12 grandkids..

and she never failed to have at least one present under the tree for each.

i can't remember a time when those presents didn't include if one

& most of the time, two of her famous pound cakes.

multiply two by six & add the all the neighbors & co-workers she baked for..

and you can understand why one person would have to start two weeks before christmas just to get it all done.

the point is, she loved christmas.

the lights, the songs, the decorations, the baking, the time with family..

and most of all.. giving.

so, when that first christmas after she passed came around..

it was difficult for anyone to imagine what it would be like..

the hole she left in our lives seemed to grow exponentially at christmas time.

we were really grasping at anything to help bring back some christmas spirit that first year...

and somehow we came around to the idea to carry on baking pound cake, just as she had...

that first year we got together was a real eye opener.

we baked ALL DAY.

and i mean ALL DAY.

i think we made something like 30 pound cakes.

it was insane to think one person did all of it alone.

but we laughed.

and we reminisced.

and i'm sure there were a few tears as well.

but we made it through the grief together...

and we created a new tradition, to carry on her memory.

this year was our 7th year making pound cake in her memory.

it's almost hard to imagine that mason was just 19 months old that first year,

running around getting into everything..

and this year it was rance up underneath everyone's feet,

while mason rode the 4 wheeler with his uncle ricky..

i don't think it's ever easy to let go of a loved one..

i'm just glad we have something to bring us together to remember her by..

plain pound cake:

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

you can certainly stop here.. but our favorite is marbled pound cake...

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.

(i just realized... in all our years,

i apparently have never managed a picture of an actual BAKED pound cake!)

only three more days until christmas,

are you ready?! :)

xo-k

linking to:
fireflies & jellybeans
house of hepworth
tales from bloggeritaville
ladybug blessings

diy: embroidered doodles

i really have the best intentions when it comes to giving gifts.

i usually have all kinds of ideas, & it's the funding that's the problem.

this time.. it didn't dawn on me until wednesday night that friday was the dude's last day of school..

and we hadn't gotten anything for his teacher.

wednesday night with nothing planned & not an idea in sight.

i was racking my brain for ideas while working on my christmas gift for my sister in law.

the dude was totally entranced watching me embroider

& was literally on top of me the whole time i was sewing.

he's a doodler that one.. and he gave us all christmas cards that night.

and i fell in love with this picture of a rose he drew me

(although i'll admit i thought it was supposed to be a tulip at first)

he's extremely detail oriented & his teachers are always complimentary & amazed at his artistic abilities.

so it hit me to combine the two & make something his teacher could hang on to..

it took him a about 15 minutes to perfect his flowers

& write out his teachers name.

i picked out the best flowers & written name & traced them onto a new paper

(because as a perfectionist.. there were tons of erased scribble lines to wade through)

once i was finished i waited until the next day to tape first the design 

& then the fabric over the top to trace on the pattern with a water soluble pen.

then i stuck the fabric in a hoop & embroidered over the pattern i traced.

when i was done i used water to remove the pen marks from the water soluble pen.

ironed out the piece & taped around a 5x7 piece of cardstock.

stuck it in a frame & wrapped it up to gift.

i was a little nervous about whether she would like it.

but mason was sooo excited about it, that i hoped we were on the right track.

well, she loved it!

& she thanked me twice at school during his christmas party..

& then called the house again later to thank me again!

i was so relieved!

i know teachers aren't like parents or grandparents

& don't particularly want 100's of hand prints

& drawings from their students over the years..

but i intended this to be a bit of a nameplate..

something she could put on her desk

& not necessarily a keepsake.

it would definetely work as a last minute gift idea for family members though!

just trace over one of your children's doodles & viola! :)

xo-k

linking up:
tip junkie
today's creative
craftomaniac
skip to my lou
the blackberry vine
tidy mom
whipperberry

life: the sunday review

i can't be the only one thinking..

'holy crap! christmas is 7 days away!'

i am so grateful that i've avoided most of the holiday stress.

i gave myself permission to not do any christmas crafting (for around the house)..

and i have to say.. i'm enjoying not feeling guilty because i haven't posted a bunch of craft ideas.

BUT.

that's not to say that i may or may not have spent a good 40+ hours on one craft this week.

a craft that was a christmas present to be exact.

i was really enjoying every minute of it, up until the day i needed to be done..

and i wasn't... well until the last minute.

when i tallied up all the time put into it..

i was really shocked, because it was a labor of love, so the time flew by.  

so i'm not really surprised i don't have too many pictures this week..

or that i haven't done much other than wash dishes & feed my family & embroider.

1. mr. bells got caught playing with marshmallows in the pantry.

2. we pretty much keep the dude's bedroom door shut.. but i was in there hanging up some clothes & next thing i know i hear 'tap. tap. tap.' on the keyboard behind me.. the babe got his techie gene honestly!

3. with temps dropping into the 40s @ night we've had to put a crate back in the house for the dog (cue major sadface here..).. apparently mr. bells thought it was a jungle gym.

4. i think i pick up measuring cups 1,000 times a day.. remind me why i bought toys for this kid for christmas?

5. i gave in to the pleas for the 'stupid-giant-can't-turn-a-corner-to-save-it's-life kid-germ-infested' shopping cart at publix on a run to pick up milk. we ended up going up & down every aisle just so they had more time in the darn thing. sometimes you have to let go of your mommy-worries & hurries & just let 'em be kids!

6. a christmas card from mason, with a rose drawn on the front. i'm seriously impressed with it. still. (look for a project with this drawing this week!)

7. mr. bells was either really lame or really cool this week. he pulled out the lite brite to shout out a countdown this day!

8. brownies requested by the dude for his class christmas party. dressed up with peppermint icing & crushed peppermints. they were a HUGE hit with the kids. (sharing recipe this week)

9. mr. bells, buzz lightyear, spiderman & moosie played a game of sorry.

10. my big christmas present project almost completed friday afternoon. (i will share a better picture soon!)

11. 6th annual memorial pound cake baking @ my moms (more on that soon too!)

12. christmas card mason made for my brother. he's apparently under the delusion my brother is the nicest person in the world... CLEARLY he has been mislead ;)

13. it's our 'off' year for christmas with my brother & his wife (they take turns between families) so we got together a week early to sit down for dinner & exchange gifts. mason was gifted a lego version of hagrid's house from harry potter & he was SUPER excited.. especially because he had his best lego building buddy there to help him.. uncle ricky! :)

14. another pinterest recipe.. and OH boy. mini pecan pie muffins. SO good. the boys gobbled them right up & even the hubs (who defies the laws of nature by hating pecans & hailing from georgia) went back for seconds.

15. mr. bells is getting ansy for christmas... he was trying to check the stocking for goodies this morning, not yet mr. bells!! :) 

16. those muffins. i'm telling you.. you'll totally want to make these. they taste JUST like pecan pie, and they only have 5 ingredients!

i have a few things to share in more detail as you can see...

along with some last minute christmas gifts i'm finishing up..

so check back later this week! :)

are you done with all your christmas shopping/crafting?

xo-k

christmas: my wishlist

in truth, i want nothing for christmas.

i feel absolutely 100% blessed this christmas to have everything i need.

i feel like i'm coming into a season in my life where i can accept who & what i am & be content.

(that's not to say that i don't have faults, but working to better them is part of life i think)

i think that's the mark of a grown up.

well, maybe not.. but it's maybe a sign of evolving as a person?

who knows maybe i'm just talking out my rear-end this morning.

but, like every other human being..

i have a short wish list of pretty things.

(aside from the non-tangible things like peace, forgiveness & selflessness i always keep a wish for in my heart)

i need a break from my christmas present project, and this seemed like a time-filler..

because i really don't want to mop the floor that really needs it.

(can you say no-leak sippy cup, my butt!)

i've had my eye on this q&a 5 year journal for some time now.

i have REALLY good intentions when it comes to journaling..

and REALLY bad follow through.

this one gives you a single question to answer each day

& then space for answers for the next 5 years.

one question? that's totally do-able. 

i've had the same fiskars paper trimmer for probably 6 years..

it's never done me wrong, it's extremely portable & space friendly.

but i'm an american crafts girl... and.. i can't help but love this thing.

cuts paper & has multiple blade attachments that can be stored in the trimmer?!

what's not to love!?!

i sorta feel like a grandma with this thing on my list.

a bed-pillow. but after hours upon hours of reading this year..

a pillow like this (maybe not this exact one) is so high up on my list! 

i stumbled upon this little ring set on etsy over the weekend while cruising for ideas for christmas for my mom, and fell in love.

it's not too often you see 'mama' on stuff

i love that it's stacking & has the #2.

i love that it's made from old pages.

and i especially love that it's handmade!

i've been collecting ideas for wall art for my bedroom the last few months..

i aiming to make most of it by hand..

but i just love this poster, and think it very well may make it's way onto our wall!

anyone who really knows me, knows how much of a techie i am.

i CAN NOT help it.

trust me i've tried.

i've been in love with e-readers since they arrived on the market.

first the regular kindle & then the nook.. my latest affair is with the kindle fire.

::sigh::

i can't help myself.

(but at $199 it's a lot more feasible than the ipad which though desirable, is far beyond what i'm willing to consider for a tablet!)

well.... i guess i didn't kill enough time...

the babe...

(who i'm seriously considering renaming linus, ya know, from charlie brown)

is still sleeping & i should really mop the floor.

so i can get upset later when 2.5 seconds after he is handed his sippy cup there is milk all over the floor again.

joy!

xo-k



life: the sunday review.

i'm pretty sure the accessibility of my cell phone camera is the cause of the decline of use of my dslr.

the ease of use coupled with the instant gratification of tubo filters, ya... it's just shameful.

BUT, i'm going to try and justify it, by saying that most of these shots would not have been captured had i not used my cellphone..

because, i don't know about you.. but i'm not one for lugging my camera to the movies.

(i'm too busy relishing in the fact i'm not toting a diaper bag that holds everything but the kitchen sink in it!)

but i worry about them getting lost in my cell phone.

so every day, or every other day if i forget, i email the pictures to myself.

i name them for the date & save them to a file on my pc.

something like dec2cell1.

that's december 2nd 1st cell picture.

i realize this may become a problem with no year attached..

but it's what is working right now.

and, in an effort to get just a bit of information saved with the pictures..

i'm going to start 'the sunday dump'. (please see below for..uh.. well just look at it okay?!)

i know i've SORT of already done this..

but i'm going to try & make it a regular thing.

we'll see how it goes. :)

1. we had an elf come to stay with us for the holidays, mason was quick in naming him mr. j. bells.

2. this little guy has given up on trying to get into the cabinets & has taken to getting into the drawers, i spend my days now picking up duplos AND measuring cups.

3. we finally bit the bullet and purchased new christmas lights (we haven't had any in a few years) & the neighbor girl (who's 8) said 'oh, wow, you are finally getting christmas lights this year?!' i had a good laugh at the hubs expense! :)

4. i've never been one for multi-colored lights, but i am in love with the LED versions! they are so bright, although this picture hardly does them justice!

5. i've been snapping mr. bells daily hi jinks. this day he was caught in a slinky hanging from the light fixture in the dining room!

6. i made peppermint garland for the tree. a not so quick, but easily done christmas craft.

7. capt. jack, lego pirate cornered mr. bells on the bookshelf at knife-point.

8. had a movie date with the dude to see the muppets. so cute. so happy to share my love of muppets with him now! :)

9. a beautiful, unexpected gift from my amazingly talented friend andrea! (ps. she should have these in her etsy shop soon, check her out!)

10. game of life with nana & the dude after the christmas tree was decorated.

11. reading 'little women' by tree light :)

12. mr. bells tp'd the tree, which got a good laugh fom the dude & dada threaten to kick his mischevious little butt to the curb, which got ANOTHER laugh!

13. mr. bells snuck in the freezer to eat some of dada's ice cream!

14. the babe has also (with help from bubby) discovered how much fun it is to get in his toybox & throw everything out on the floor.... several times a day!

15. mr. bells reading the nutcracker, a book inscribed 'merry christmas kristy! love, oma christmas 1989'

16. dinner @ Mediterranean blue in orlando with my brother & his wife after a day of shopping at ikea.

17. mr. bells playing hide & go seek.

18. i've discovered the secret to napping on the go... the babe has rekindled his love affair with blankies, a few rubs with his fingers & he is out like a light (although this was after the christmas parade last night & apparently nana wore him out!)

it'll likely be sparse around here this week.

i have a christmas present i need to knock out by friday that's going to require a great deal of patience & attention, so i fear it'll take up all my free time..

we'll see how it goes :)

xo-k

ps. so, ya know how sometimes you write something & then when you come back & take a second look at it & think... wth was i thinking?! ya.. the sunday dump? sounds... well.. just excuse me okay, but i live in a house with three boys where dump means something totally different. so... i'm rethinking this one.. !!!

book: little women

my 'to read' list on good reads is growing twice as fast as my 'read' list.

i am realizing i have a slightly obsessive personality. (ha!)

when i get into something, i find that it's all consuming.

right now, it's books & reading.

(and sadly, i must confess still baking bread & sweets)

 my affection for the movie compelled me to read pride & prejudice...

yes, you read that right.

but if you can look at that picture of matthew mcfadyen & not want more mr. darcy..

well then you are not a hopeless romantic, and i confess, i can't help you.

(i must admit, i'd gladly throw over edward AND eric for mr. darcy.)

so, like i was saying, because of the movie, i read pride & prejudice.

and yes, as always, the book was 1,000 times better.

(i feel like i should just throw in that,  much to my embarrassment, i can't claim to be one of those nerdy girls who curled up with a copy of jane austen when she was 16 or 17.

i was a reader, to be clear, but much like my current bookshelf , i was a sucker for suspense stories, with a little romance thrown in.

mostly young adult stuff.

sadly, i would have lived in the young adult paranormal romance section,

 had it existed in the early 90s.)

::hanging my head in shame::

why is it embarrassing that i love paranormal romance?

so embarrassing.

like, i want to hide the books as i check out like it's a box of feminine products.

ya know, so the 'real' intellectual people reading 'real' literature don't have any more fuel to mock me.

wait, what was i saying?

oh. little women.

ya, so far from paranormal romance..

and who's horrible winona ryder knock off did NOT compel me to read the book.

if i'm honest..

(and since i mentioned feminine products, it's obvious i'm going to be)

i read it to pad my bookshelf on goodreads.

my friend jaime (hi, Jaime! :) is a voracious reader.

(see, big word means i'm not all together lame)

she's read NINETY-FIVE books this year.

AND has a toddler and a brand new baby.

so ya, after the initial 'woohoo i read 24 books this year!' wore off..

i realized that 19 of them were paranormal romance.

so after feeling so proud & bookwormish..

i found myself looking around to see if anyone was looking over my shoulder

& laughing at my accomplishment.

so....

 i decided that the list of books in the back of my head that you should be able to say you've read in  your life, needed tackling.

you know, the classics you were required to read in high school that you skimmed 

& somehow managed to pass honors english with an A.

(uh, huh, you did it too, didn't you!)

i was totally captivated by night by elie wiesel

i made my way through 1984 & Fahrenheit 451.

it took all i had to make it through animal farm.

(i think my 10th grade english teacher was obsessed with dystopia as well as jimmy buffet)

and i totally fudged my paper on all quiet on the western front

i don't think i was ever required to read little women..

but it just seems like a classic you should check of your list.

and i have.

I'm not going to lie.. I struggled for the first, oh 200 pages.

 It just seemed to drag on and on and on.

alcott seemed determined for the reader to know absolutely every detail down to the last spec of dust on a shoe and wrinkle in a coat, and that started to wear on me.

The book makes a dramatic shift, fast forwarding three years in time,

and that's about the time I started to really enjoy it.

 All in all I'm glad to say I read it, but I'm also glad to move onto something new.

when you see there are 30 pages left

& are like '30 MORE?!' and not 'ONLY 30?!'

that's a pretty good indication of how you'll come away feeling.

the plot. good.

the story. slow. sometimes VERY slow.

the characters. some okay. some blah. some interesting.

but, i added the somewhat lesser known little men sequel to my good reads 'to read' shelf.

that's gotta count for something right?

let me be clear.

i like the descriptions of life & times.

i like the pictures that were put in my head.

i just feel like it dragged too often,

 or that maybe i was missing the moral i was supposed to be being taught?

please don't send me hate mail if little women is your favorite book ever.

(or if you think i'm lame for liking paranormal romance :)

any recommendations for a new-non-paranormal romance book?

(or maybe a suggestions in favor of one? :)

i'm upping my goal for books read in 2012!

(and vowing that only 1/4 will be filled with paranormal smut!)

happy saturday!

xo-k

recipe: chocolate brownies with peanut butter fudge icing

i don't know that there has ever been a better marriage than that of chocolate to peanut butter.

(see: reeses peanut butter cups, reeses pieces, peanut butter m&ms, snickers peanut butter squared)

it definitely has stood the test of time..

(unlike the marriage of kim kardashian to chris whateverhisnamewas)

and yes.. i just spent a good 5 minutes figuring out how to stick that dig in there.

i hate reality tv, and it annoys me that people are famous for NOTHING.

(see: snooki & 'the situation' i mean really?!?! how are people like this famous?!?!)

but, like i was saying.

peanut butter + chocolate = sweet heaven
i know you'll agree, because you wouldn't want to disappoint me so close to christmas! :)

i ended up with a new 9x13 pan a few weeks ago after failing miserably at
 baking up some from-scratch scalloped potatoes (the hubs fav)

& proclaiming it to be the pans fault.

yep. i blamed the pan.

because i didn't have a 9x13 which is what the recipe called for.

i also may have claimed his favorite brownies would be thicker if i had the right pan.

it's all about how you sell the purchase ladies & gents! :)

so i figured i had to christen my new baking pan

& what better way to do it then marrying together two different brownie recipes my hubs loves

(he is kinda a brownie snob)

the brownie recipe is from a scrapbooking friend.

she has been blessing us with her AMAZING brownies at our retreats for a few years..

and they are always irresistible.

ALWAYS.

i begged the recipe off her because i knew the hubs would be in heaven.

she uses all top of the line goods in hers, which make them divine..

but i use good ol' hershey's cocoa & the hubs is still in love with them.

the peanut butter icing recipe is from that southern charity cook book i have in my possession.
(i looked for an online source, & found this very similiar recipe from southernplate, i'm thinking every grandma has their own variation on this stovetop peanut butter icing recipe! :)

i made the peanut butter brownies it was intended for, and while they very good

& certainly eaten up at a fair rate..

it was a little too much peanut butter in one bite for our taste..

but the icing was SOO good, i couldn't wait to find something else to put it on! :)

brownies (my adjustments in parenthesis):

-2 cups sugar

-1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder (i've upped mine to 3/4 cup)

-1 tsp salt

-4 eggs

-1 c canola oil (increase to 1 1/4 if you increase the cocoa)

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 c walnuts (i usually leave these out)

1. preheat oven 350.

2. mix all ingredients together until well blended. pour into 9x13 pan.

3. bake for 24 minutes. (we like ours a little underdone, so i typically take them out at about 22 minutes)

4. cool completely.

peanut butter fudge icing:

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-6 TB milk

-2 TB shortening

-2 TB butter

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1. mix sugar, milk, shortening, butter & salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. stir constantly to prevent scorching, until mixture comes to a rolling boil.

3. once boil starts, allow to boil for 1-2 minutes WITHOUT stirring.

4. remove from heat & immediately add vanilla & peanut butter, stirring until smooth.

5. pour over cooled brownies & let set.

feeling refreshed after a trip to ikea yesterday

(am i the only one who feels like a kid in a candy shop in that place?)

i managed to come out only spending $26, which is the most i've ever spent there at one time..

but certainly not what i COULD have spent!

then dinner last night with my brother & his wife at an amazing little greek restuarant in orlando.

(ps. love the shops & food, hate the traffic big city!)

off to start/finish our gifts for family!

let the crafting commence! :)

xo-k

linking to:
fireflies & jellybeans
tales from bloggeritaville
house of hepworths

diy: laundry detergent (borax free)

about three months ago i came across a few pins on pinterest for do-it-yourself laundry detergent.
i set my mind that once our current detergent ran out, i was going to give it a go.
but i also promised myself i'd really give it a good run before telling anyone about it.
so about the time i was ready to blog about it, i ran out of dishwasher detergent..
and figured i'd try out the do-it-yourself for that as well.

well, let me tell you, i've learned just a little more than i ever planned to about some of these
do-it-yourself cleaning recipes!

the first diy laundry detergent called for called for borax.
it seemed to be popping up everywhere, and everyone was claiming it to be wonderful...
so i gave it a go.

1 cup of borax.
1 cup of arm & hammer super WASHING soda.
1 bar of fels naptha (found in the laundry section) grated.

combine it all & use one tablespoon per load.
it lasted a good month & a half.
at about 5-7 loads a week, i figure i got about 35-40 loads out of the mix.
let me just tell you, this stuff works GREAT and is CHEAP.
a box of borax is less than $5, as is the super washing soda.
the bar of fels naptha is 97c at walmart.
with only using a cup of each of the powders, you could get SEVERAL batches out of these boxes.
FOR $10.

so here's where the twist comes in. (cause there is ALWAYS a twist right?!)
i mentioned i decided to give a diy dishwasher mix a go.
ya. SO not successful.
it also had a mixture of borax & baking soda...
and when i googled to figure out where i'd gone wrong..
i came across all sorts of information i should have been smarter about seeking out before i started using borax!!

turns out borax, and fels naptha, while cheap.. aren't exactly green.
which was what i naively thought i was being.
not. the. case.
the few websites i came across warned that borax could cause intestinal problems if ingested over time, and that it could also cause skin irritations, and developmental effects specifically in the testes!!!!
and this stuff doesn't have to be ingested, the dust can be inhaled to cause certain ailments.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

just googling it & sorting through half a dozen pages of information made me sure of two things:
1. i was NOT using it in my dishwasher
& 2. i was NOT using it on my laundry.

so, i found another diy laundry detergent mix.
and i'm happy to report it works just as well as the first did.. if not better.
the clothes, in my opinion, are much softer.

1 cup arm & hammer super washing powder
1/2 cup baking soda
1 bar dr. bonner castile soap grated (your choice of fragrance, i used the orange citrus)

again, so cheap.
the dr. bonner's soap is a little more inconvenient to find locally, at least in my area.
it's also $4.99 vs. the 97c for fels naptha (which by the way has a long list of chemicals & ickies too!)
but STILL. you are looking at less than $7 for 35-40 loads!!!!
and it's a truely GREEN diy mix.

the ONLY downside i could see is that there is no 'smell' to your laundry.
the only smell is just warm clean linen.
no lavender, or tide smells... although there is a very very faint citrus-y smell when i pull the clothes out of the wash.

i haven't worked on finding another diy dishwasher detergent yet, and am currently using the very-not-cheap seventh generation.
but i feel good about using it, and since i'm saving so much on laundry detergent, i don't mind so much until i find a good, green mix that doesn't leave an icky residue all over everything!

and we are just one step closer to cleaning the chemicals we can out of our home!

happy monday!
xo-k

linking to:
the blackberry vine
ladybug blessings

recipe: beer bread

i have a confession.

i'm currently obsessed with beer infused foods.

i've managed to put together a few meals using the golden goodness in the last few weeks...

i've even worked it into a few breads.

i should mention...

I DESPISE BEER.

well, drinking it anyways.

i've tried to like it. honest.

because i see labels on bottles & think, gosh that must taste good.

but NOPE.

i'm just one of those girls who's always going to have a fruity drink in her hand, if anything.

but i will most definitely raid my husbands beer stash, when he has one...

to add to food.

because beer + food = heaven.

(if you haven't ever had anything made with beer, you'll just have to trust me on this!)

so i've made no less than 3 loaves of beer bread over the last month.

and each one of them was gone in less than 48 hrs.

i made this honey beer bread recipe first via gimme some oven. 

adapted from the original recipe below from ezra poundcake.

(it tasted amazing)

but this recipe from ezra poundcake (found via pinterest, of course) has become the go-to.

because it tastes just as good & doesn't require the honey which i never seem to have!

beer bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (Note: Feel free to reduce to 1/4 cup)

i used the whole stick (salted). it's bread with beer, why skimp on the calories now?!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer into the dry ingredients until just mixed.
4. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Slide a baking sheet onto a lower rack to catch any butter that might overflow from the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

yum. yum. yum.

it's even good the next day toasted with some butter on it.

really, there is no WRONG way to eat this. trust me! :)

i'm thinking this would be a great non-sweet treat to make & take to someone as a christmas gift.
wrap a little cellophane around it & call it good!

xo-k

linking to:
tidy mom
fingerprints on the fridge
whipperberry
tatertots & jello

movies: the christmas list

i swear the span of time between thanksgiving and december 1st gets shorter every year.

it's like that short week goes into warp speed..

and then from there life is in fast forward until january 1st when everything slows down again.

can you relate?

i didn't finish my advent calender... heck i couldn't even decide on one (still can't.)

i dragged my feet on whether or not to purchase an 'elf on the shelf'...

but nana picked up my slack, because without my knowing it, she picked one up herself!

(nana's are the best! :)

so i'll at least have some elf pictures for you..

i sorta kinda debated on doing a december daily.

truth. i've started two in the last 5 years, and haven't finished a single one.

it's just too overwhelming for me, with all the holiday festivities.

so i'm not guilting myself over it, i'll just enjoy everyone else's! :)

it'll just free me up for some more christmas crafts & baking!

i get just as excited about christmas movies as i do halloween movies.

because there are some GREAT christmas movies.

but i own not a single one on dvd, nor vhs (yep. still have one of those)

why?

1. abc family hosts almost all of our favorites on their 25 days of christmas.

2. we own a dvr.

3. i'm cheap.

so i've searched & set our dvr to record over the next two weeks..

and since it took a little time to gather our favorites..

i figured i'd share the list with you.

i DID NOT however, link each movie like i did at halloween.

it took forever to do that, and i got a tree to decorate here people! :)

for the whole family:

mickey's once upon a christmas

mickey's twice upon a christmas

dr. seuss's how the grinch stole christmas

how the grinch stole christmas

a christmas story (my favorite and a MUST see on christmas day tbs ALL DAY!)

rudolph the red nosed reindeer

rudolph's shiny new year

frosty the snowman

the miser brothers christmas

the year without santa claus

jack frost

rudolph & frosty's christmas in july

frosty's winter wonderland

home alone 1 & 2 & 3

disney's a christmas carol

polar express

elf (i should say. i am not a fan. but i'm outnumbered so i included it :)

ernest saves christmas

gremlins

mickey's christmas carol

the nightmare before christmas

prancer

santa claus: the movie

the santa clause 1, 2 & 3

a charlie brown christmas

a chipmunk christmas

a muppet family christmas

for the grownups:

it's a wonderful life

the shop around the corner

the family stone

national lampoon's christmas vacation

scrooged (my brother's personal favorite!)

christmas with the kranks

deck the halls

dutch (another of my brother's favorites!)

four christmases

die hard (sorry had to slip that one in there, you know i'm a fan of bruce!!)

fred claus

the holiday

love, actually

snow

snow 2: brain freeze

bridget jones' diary

ghostbusters II

edward scissorhands

i  know there are dozens more.. these are just our/mine favorites! if i've missed one you think we need to add to our list, please feel free to leave it in the comments! :)

xo-k